horses and rain

Cobi

Cobi

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I was helping up the yard at the weekend and the YM was pondering wether it was going to rain or not as to what rugs to use etc,

well this made me think as few weeks ago in the warmish but wet weather most were out naked.

So I guess my question is, can most live out in the rain? - providing its not freezing and they have a good hairy coat + shelter to get away from it...


thanks for reading : )
 
The problem we had is that it was lovely, warm and dry and all the ponies moulted, then the weather turned. My highland 2 year old has been fine in snow, rain, and everything else it throws at him down here all winter, but losing his coat, then being drenched, left him needing a little additional protection. My old cob was a similar story.

(Fergs is a different matter as he's been rugged the whole time as I don't fancy grooming all that mud off him everytime I want to ride!)
 
I have a Dales. She wintered out with no rugs, only natural shelter. Some mornings I found her with frost on her back and icicles hanging from her whiskers. She was toasty warm under her winter fluff.
I have owned her for 7 years and this year is the first time I have ever seen her cold and shivering. No not in the middle of winter but in these recent downpours we have been having. The constant rain + cold + wind and she just couldn't cope. New rug was bought and on it went. Caught me unawares.
 
mulledwhine said:
Same here, I usually come from the camp that they won't shrink!!! However, the relentless rain left him cold and miserable, so just popped a LW on him
Click to expand...

Yep - same here. The odd down pour wouldnt be an issue, but hours and hours of pouring rain with strong cold winds and summmer coats have set ours off shivering so they have their rain macs on.
 
When the weather turned I found my tb shivering one morning, I have never seen him do that in the three years I’ve had him and I’ve turned him out in blizzards before! Now he lives out (and I’ve discovered Weatherbeeta Freestyle rugs!) I’m a bit softer in rugging him, although in fairness he started living out at the end of January and he was never in more than a m/w!

Oddly enough I’ve found he stays cleaner living out 24/7 than he did when stabled half the day!
 
As Dizzle said my pony seems to be suffering more in the contstant rain than she did in the middle of winter when she was out fully clipped in a 180g combo. I found her shivering one morning she was wearing the same 180g and put a little under rug on her and she warmed up no problem. Crazy that she is wearing more rugs now than in the middle of winter.

I think if you can keep them eating they soon warm up once they have a pile of hay to munch on!
 
Reassuring thread, I worried I was turning fluffy :). My girl was fine naked at minus 9 in winter but the wet and windy weather over the last couple of weeks has seen her so cold she’s bought herself in twice so she’s now in a no fill on windy days.
 
It's been a funny year hasn't it, took my dearly departed boy's rug off at the beginning of march, by April he had a lw back on it never came off... These fluctuating temps just don't give an inch. Buds is naked atm, but is only ou. For a few hours a day due to far too much grass even in the restricted paddocks. This year sucks!
 
Cob thing hasnt been rugged all winter.

Toffee has barely been out of a rug bless her.

And I get comments at the yard because Samba never has one on since Feb....shes fat, shes wearing a muzzle and the YO wont section off the 10 acre field, therefore she will be naked to burn a few calories.
 
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